Car replacer



Aug.. 9, 1932 c, DlGlovlNE CAR REPLACER Filed Nov. 18, 1951 -3 Sheets-Sheet l am .s

c. DlGlovlNE CAR REPLACER Aug. 9, 1932. v

Filed NOV. 18. 1951 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. DlGlOVlNE CAR REPLACER s sheets-sheet 5 Filed NOV. 1.8, 19151 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES CAMILLO DIGIOVINE, OF NEWT` GENEVA, PENNSYLVANIA CAR REPLACER Application filed November 18, 1931. Serial No. 575,882.

This invention relates to improvements in car replacers. Y

One of the features of the invention resides in a car replacer adapted to be associated .with the rails of a railway track for guiding the wheels of a car back ontothe rails in the event of a car becoming derailed. Such a device as this may be placed near the ap proach of bridges or trestles to prevent a derailed car of a train from passing onto thestructure which might result in serious damage thereto and the wrecking of the train. The invention will be foundl most useful in instances wherethe tracks on an approach to a bridge are on a curve as the danger of derailment is greater under such conditions. c t

Another feature of the invention is thevprovision of a signal which is automatically set in the event that a derailed car is replaced upon the tracks by the car replacer to warn the engineer of the next following train that the replacer was used by a derailed car of the train ahead and that an examination of the replacer and road bed should be made before passing the saine. The signal should be reset by the crew of the train following vthe one'which necessitated the use of the replacer. 43

-With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Y

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of a railway track with my invention associated therewith. 4 f v :Figure V2 is an enlarged top plan view of that section of :the'track withwhich my car replacer is associated Figure 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure2, the dotted lineposition of the car wheel illustrating the 4position of the same before thewheels are fully replaced onto the supporting tracks.

Figure fis a vertical transverse sectional view on' the line 1f-4 of- Figure '2, the dotted lines indicating the wheels of the in derailed position. j v n v Figure 5 is a vertical llongitudinal sectional view on the line 5 -5 of Figure 2. j

I Figure 6 .is a similar view on the line 6--6 55 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral 10-10 designates a pair Vof spaced Vparallel supporting rails which constitute a railway track, and which are supported upon the usual ties'11. By reference to AFigures 1, 3 and 4, it will be noted that I have illustrated a section of a railway track which is curved 'and in such instances,

it is the practice to lay the ties-at an angle or onk a bank whereupon the rail constituting thevinner curveof the track is on a plane lower than the other rail which constitutes the outer curve,.and it is under such conditions that'my car replacer presently to be ex- 70 `plained is used. I have also associated these tracks with a bridge or trestle 12 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings as, my invention -is intended tobe arranged along the tracks for- -ward of. the trestle forv the purpose ofreplacing any car ofa trainwhichmay be derailed prior to the passage of the train onto the trestle or bridge structure.

f Mounted on the ties 11 adjacent one of the rails 10 andV in this .instance adjacent that 80 rail which is disposed on the lower plane is aguide rail 13, the ends of whichfarebent inwardly at an angle as at llifin order to provide an enlarged space or mouth between the ends of the guide rail and the adjacent supporting rail 10. Extending from one side of the guide rail `13 just below thehead thereof is a horizontal flange 15,'the outer-edge of which abuts the web ofthe `adjacent supporting rail 10 as best seen inrFigure 3 of the 90 drawings. One of the base flanges designated -at 16 of the guide rail 13 overlies one of the base flanges of the supporting rail 10 and the guide rail is secured in lposition against the supporting rail by bolts or like fastening elements 17. The supporting flange 15 provides a bottom for the' space between the heads of the supporting rail and the guide rail, and which may be termed a flange sup- `.port for a purpose to be presently explained.

car when 10, or in this instance, the supporting rail onthe higher` plane is a replacer member 19 which member comprises acentral body por-V tion 20 and oppositely disposed wing rail sections 21, which are bent outwardly at an angle with respect to the 'adj acent supporting rail 10. It might be stated that the replacer member 19 is disposed on the outside of the adjacent rail 10 and is secured to certain of the ties 11 by the usual spikes. The replacer member 19 is also secured to the adjacent supporting rail 10 by bolts or like fastening elements 22, while one of the base flanges of the supporting rail 10 is overlapped by the base of the member 19. j j y The replacer member 19 is provided with'a central ledge 23 which is on an Veven plane with the top of the adjacent rail 10. while rising above thejledge and head ofthe adjacent rail 10 is a wall 24:, which is inclined or curved upwardly from the ledge '23 as .at 25 to provide a wedging space with which the wheels 'on one side of a derailed car are adapted to abut. The space '25 is valso curved lengthwise or inclined as .at '26, so as to guide the wheels into engagement with the base 125 -of the extension y24C, `while horizontal flanges 26 formedkintegral with the wing railrportion 21 span the space betweenthe wing rail portions and the adjacent web of the rail 10.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that a car which might be derailedV may be replaced upon 'the supporting'rail as the wheels *of the car will ride upon the flanges '26 and inclined runways 18, and as the wheels on one side contact with the inclined'face 25 of the wall 21l,the`car will 'be shifted laterally as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. As the wheels on one side of thecar roll ontothe runway l18, the flanges of the wheels are in contact with the surface of therunway and it is necessary to bring thewheel to a plane where it ma be slid transversely in order that the tread surface of the wheel will ride Vonto the head of the adjacent supporting rail 10. This Vis accomplished Vby the inclined runway andthe flange 15, and when the wheels on lthis sidegof the car :are'positioned onv the proper horizontal plane the wheels on the opposite side will be kengaged by the car replacer 19 which acts'asa wedge for forcing the car laterally onto Ythe supporting rails 10-10- i Y The endsV of the winged -rail portion '21 form a continuation of a guard rail 27 and pivotally mounted between the guard rail 27 and the adjacent supporting rail 10 forward of the replacer member 19, is a switch point or signal actuating member 28. This member is disposed in the path of the wheels of a derailed car, and is adapted vto be actuated by they wheels prior to the passage of the wheels onto the car replacer. Integral with the actuatingmember28 .and disposed below the planeof the rails is an arm 29, the same v being disposed between two adjacent ties 11.

Pivoted to the arm 29 is a link 30, the opposit-e end of the link being pivotally connected to an arm 31 fixed to a vertical shaft 32. The shaft 32 is turnably mounted in bearings provided in a stand 33, which'stand is in turn vbolted toY two adjacent ties 11. Fixed to the stand 33 is an arcuate bracket 34,'which is provided with twospaced notches 35, the same being disposed at an angle of 9() with respect to each other. Slidable f'on the rod 32 is a lever 36 and which is movable over the segmental bracket 34. The lever is held down against the bracket by a spring 37 interposed between the lever 36 and the upper bearing for the Ishaft 32. This spring tends to place a slight tension upon the lever in Vorder to keep the same seatedin the notches i 35 Ywhen the lever is moved into position therein. j

Fixedly carried by the top of the shaft 32 is a signal member38 which includes a housing 39 adapted to contain .an electric Vlamp'. One side of the -housing 39 is provided with a red lens 40, 'while a green lens 41 is also provided and is disposed at right angles with respect to the red lens. It will thus be seen that by turning the shaft .32 one-quarter'revolution that either the red or green lens which constitutes the signal may be brought into a display position to be viewed by the engineer of a train approaching the car replacer. When the actuating member 28 is sety as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the green light is visible to the engineer of an appreaching train. He is therefore aware that it is alright to proceed over the car replacer, but in the event that a derailed train should approach the car replacer, the wheels on one sideof the derailed car will strike lthe actuatingA member 28 and operate the signalling device in order to turn the signal member to position the red signal within view of the engineer of the next approaching train. The derailed car however will be replaced upon the tracks as it passes over the car replacer, but in some cases damage may be caused to the replacer or road bed, and the engineer of the next approaching train seeing the red signal will halt the train and make an inspection of the replacer and the surrounding rails. A member of the crew of the halted train will, if conditions vare satisfactory, reset the signal by grasping the lever lll) 36 and moving the same to the position shown in full lines in the drawings, at which time the green light will again be brought into view of the engineer of any following train.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes that come within the scope of the appended claims may -be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In combination with the spaced parallel supporting rails of a railway track, a car replacer associated with said supporting rails, and signal means adapted to be operated by a derailed car for indicating when a derailed car has passed over said car replacer.

2. In combination with the spaced parallel supporting rails of a railway track, a car replacer associated with said supporting rails, and signal means adapted to be operated by a derailed car for indicating when a derailed car has passed over said car replacer, and manually operated means for resetting said signal means.

3. In combination with the spaced parallel supporting rails of a railway track, a car replacer associated with said supporting rails', a signal member mounted along the rails in advance of said car replacer, a signal actuating member mounted adjacent one of said rails and adapted to be engaged by a derailed car, and signal member operating means operable by said actuating member.

4. In combination with the spaced parallel supporting rails of a railway track, a car replacer associated with said supporting rails, a. signal member mounted along the rails in advance of said car replacer,a signal actuating member mounted adjacent one of said rails and adapted to be engaged by a derailed car, signal member operating means operable by said actuating member, and manually operable means for resetting said signal member after actuation of the same by a derailed car.

In testimony whereof, I aX my signature.

' CAMILLO DIGIOVINE. 

